How Advances In Telemedicine Will Change How We View Hospitals Forever

Advantages and Disadvantages of telemedicine ? telemedicine has got several advantages. One of the biggest advantages is that it gives a patient access to specialist information that may not be readily accessible otherwise. During telemedicine, you get an opportunity to discuss your medical history with your doctor and you can ask questions as well. The specialist in turn, can also ask questions directly.

The better part of telemedicine is that you directly relay information to a specialist rather than having the information relayed by a doctor or nurse. The specialist can hear you coughing or see that swelling in your eyes. You therefore have an opportunity to hear firsthand about the available options for your diagnosis and treatment. Telemedicine in many cases should be billable to your health care insurance and this should probably have no issues as it is considered a regular healthcare service.

Telemedicine Disadvantages ? studies have shown that there is a great deal of money saved through the telemedicine arrangement both by the patient and the healthcare provider. However, for this to be effective the Health Care facility should have the telemedicine equipment installed. There are definitely some very strong points for the telemedicine options, but it has also its disadvantages.

Availability and cost is one of the main disadvantages of telemedicine. You may lack the much needed access to telemedicine services and it may prove an expensive venture to set up and maintain for the provider. Even though telemedicine is a great and worthy service, it may prove a very costly investment for healthcare facilities.

So many treatment doors can be opened by telemedicine but it is far more different from the brick-and-mortar doctor?s office. If your preference is more personal or a face-to-face relationship, then you may not be a big fan of telemedicine. There is one thing that you may not find in the telemedicine arrangement and that is the opportunity to bond with your doctor and there is also no chance that you will personally get to meet your doctor. You may not even get the opportunity to engage the specialist in a videoconference.

There are some illnesses and problems that cannot be diagnosed through telemedicine and therefore require physical appearance and a face-to-face assessment.

Still the best option – Telemedicine even though not perfect, continues to grow as popular medical treatment option and studies have shown that this solution is time, money and life saving.

With the cost of healthcare rising rapidly, supported by the fact that it does not exist in some places, there is growing need for telemedicine. It may not be everyone?s option, but the advantages seem to be more than the disadvantages. It is just hard to pass up especially when you are able to treat patients from the comfort of their homes, provide services to areas that have little development and provide valuable medical support and information.